Amelia Meath & Alexandra Sauser-Monnig Announce The A’s Debut Album ‘Fruit’

Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso) and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (Daughter Of Swords) have joined up as The A’s. The Mountain Man bandmates will put out their debut The A’s album, Fruit, through Psychic Hotline on July 15 and today shared the LP’s lead single and opening track, “He Needs Me” as well as “Why I’m Grieving.”

Fruit consists of 10 songs with a lone original among new takes on standards, traditional ballads and lullabies. While the LP marks the debut effort from the duo, Amelia and Alexandra first took the stage as The A’s way back in 2013. However, it was last year when the duo were inspired by their love for the DeZurik Sisters’ original “Why I’m Grieving” recording to get to work on an album. Meath and Sauser-Monnig tracked Fruit at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Produced by The A’s and Nick Sanborn, the musicians utilized unconventional items for the sounds featured on Fruit including nylon shorts, hair, shoes, chunks of ice, gravel and frog samples. Sanborn — Meath’s Sylvan Esso partner — contributed vocals, electronics and more. Additional Fruit contributors include Alli Rogers, Gabriel Kahane, Sam Gendel, Alan Good Parker and Jenn Wasner.

The A’s will perform live at this summer’s Newport Folk Festival on July 22. Look for additional performances and tour dates to be confirmed soon. Watch the video for the pair’s “He Needs Me,” a reworked version of Harry Nilsson and Shelley Duvall’s song from the 1980 Popeye movie, and stream their take on “Why I’m Grieving” below:

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Fruit Tracklist

1. He Needs Me
2. Swing and Turn Jubilee
3. Wedding Dress
4. Why I’m Grieving
5. When The Bloom Is On The Sage
6. My Poncho Pony
7. Go To Sleep My Darling Baby
8. Copper Kettle
9. When I Die
10. Buckeye Jim

Source: JamBase.com